Why a crypto VC believes that Ethereum's scaling efforts won't solve its problems.
Ethereum's Pectra upgrade went live on the mainnet, introducing several enhancements including improved wallet user experience, increased validator stake limits from 32 to 2,048 ETH, and upgrades to deposit and exit mechanisms along with Layer 2 scalability features. The upgrade marks the first major shift in Ethereum's positioning in two years, enabling new use cases and facilitating adoption to better compete in the crypto space. Despite a modest initial market reaction with ETH price rising only 0.96% and a slight decline in daily active addresses, Ethereum experienced a 20% price surge shortly after, representing its largest gain in four years. The Superchain, Ethereum's Layer 2 ecosystem, activated the Pectra upgrade within 48 hours of its mainnet launch, becoming the first L2 ecosystem to implement it. The Superchain currently handles 12.9 million daily transactions, collects 83% of Layer 2 fees, and contributes to over half of Ethereum’s blob fee burn. The upgrade is expected to enhance these metrics further. Additionally, EIP-7702 was enabled on Superchain Layer 2s, with adoption metrics forthcoming. This is an AI-generated article powered by DeepNewz, curated by The Defiant. For more information, including article sources, visit DeepNewz . To continue reading this as well as other DeFi and Web3 news, visit us at thedefiant.io
The post Kaanch Presale Breakdown: Price, Utility, Timeline, and How to Participate. appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News If you want a presale with well-defined terms, working technology, and huge upside, start here. Kaanch Network is a governance protocol to assist Web3 projects in launching DAOs, staking systems, and on-chain voting tools. It’s in Stage 5 of presale right now, priced at $0.16 , and early access is still open. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Current Presale Price Stage 5 price: $0.16 Stage 6 price: $0.32 Tokens are available at a fixed price per stage — no dynamic pricing Buyers entering now get the lowest remaining rate before public launch. 2. What the Token Does Kaanch isn’t a meme coin or placeholder. The token is used for: DAO creation and voting Staking module deployment Governance actions Fee routing across the protocol The tools are already live and being used — the token unlocks full functionality. 3. What’s Already Working Web-based DAO dashboard On-chain governance tools Staking and yield config modules Live integrations with early teams This is a working product — not a roadmap promise. You can see how it works here . 4. How to Join the Presale Steps: Visit https://presale.kaanch.com Connect MetaMask or WalletConnect Choose your token (USDT, ETH, or BNB) Enter your desired amount Confirm and complete the transaction Tokens are reserved for you and claimable post-launch No KYC. No centralized exchange needed. 5. What’s Next Stage 6 presale Token listing DAO partner expansion Community governance phase Protocol fee routing live Presale buyers are positioning now, ahead of the Stage 6 price jump and first listings. FAQ What is the token used for? It powers all on-chain actions within the Kaanch platform — from staking to governance. What chains does Kaanch support? The protocol is chain-agnostic. It integrates with major L1s and L2s via modular tools. Is the product live? Yes. Teams are using it now. Where do I buy? Directly at https://presale.kaanch.com
US Democratic senators have expressed concerns over possible ties between cryptocurrency exchange Binance and digital asset ventures owned by former President Donald Trump and his family. The letter, spearheaded by Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, was delivered to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Attorney General Pam Bondi. It was also signed by Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. The senators’ call comes on the heels of Senate Democrats blocking a long-awaited stablecoin bill, following revelations that a Trump family-controlled company’s USD1 digital token was used to finance a $2 billion investment in Binance by Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX in March. The same company reportedly also contributed to a $100 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure fund that Trump announced a day after his inauguration. Thus, indirect ties between the Trump family and Binance, which was found guilty of violating US laws, came to the fore. Binance's former CEO Changpeng Zhao also pleaded guilty, resigned from his position and spent four months in prison in the US. Related News: A Historic Turning Point for Cryptocurrencies: Coinbase Makes the Anticipated Announcement “Our concerns about Binance’s compliance obligations have been heightened by recent reports that the company has partnered with foreign investment firms using the Trump family’s stablecoin,” the senators wrote in the letter. According to Bloomberg, an organization with ties to the Trump family, World Liberty Financial, is also reportedly considering partnership opportunities with Binance. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump family is in talks to acquire a stake in Binance’s U.S. subsidiary, Binance.US. The same report also claimed that Zhao has requested a presidential pardon from the Trump administration. “The possibility that this administration would allow Binance, which has repeatedly violated federal laws and regulations, to continue operating in the United States is deeply troubling,” the senators wrote in the letter. The letter asked the Treasury and Justice Departments to report on Binance’s compliance with the plea agreement. It also asked for clarity on the company’s plans to exit the US, the timeline for that process, and whether a possible pardon for Zhao had been discussed with any officials. It also asked whether Binance had made any contact regarding World Liberty or its plans to list a new stablecoin. *This is not investment advice. Continue Reading: Binance and Trump Crisis in the US Senate: Here are the Details
As the market recalibrates post-halving and post-tariff, which crypto could boom in 2025 as volatility, liquidity, and adoption collide? Table of Contents Which crypto could boom in 2025? The core pillars — Bitcoin and Ethereum High-potential altcoins — Solana and Sui Emerging trends — AI and memecoins Strategies for investing in 2025’s crypto boom Which crypto could boom in 2025? The year 2025 is beginning to reflect a shift away from short-lived excitement and toward deeper changes that are steadily influencing how crypto finds its place within the broader financial system. After the sharp rise in 2024, which saw the market cap cross $3 trillion, attention is now turning to whether that momentum is sustainable and what deeper forces are quietly steering the direction. One of the most consequential developments is the policy recalibration underway in the U.S. With Donald Trump back in office, there is renewed political interest in dismantling regulatory barriers that previously limited the scope of digital assets. The rollback of SEC guidelines such as SAB 121 is one such example, signaling that regulated financial institutions may soon be allowed to expand into crypto custody, settlement, and related infrastructure. That shift carries weight because institutional participation is no longer hypothetical. As of May 9, Bitcoin ( BTC ) spot ETFs have attracted more than $41 billion in inflows, confirming that large allocators are no longer treating Bitcoin as a fringe allocation. Still, the market does not operate in isolation. The reintroduction of U.S. tariffs in early 2025 triggered brief pullbacks across risk assets, including crypto. However, the subsequent rebound in the last few days has revived bullish sentiment, particularly among institutional investors who continue to add exposure in anticipation of regulatory clarity. Against this backdrop of evolving regulation, let’s try to identify which crypto could boom in 2025, and why. The core pillars — Bitcoin and Ethereum Bitcoin and Ethereum ( ETH ) continue to serve as foundational assets in the crypto market, not simply because of their history but because their roles have evolved alongside institutional behavior, technical advancements, and broader economic realignments. Bitcoin’s recent performance has reinforced its positioning as a strategic reserve asset. After crossing $109,000 in January 2025, its momentum slowed, and the price fell by nearly 30% through early April. As of now, BTC has regained ground and is trading near $103,000. A major factor behind this recovery is the scale and composition of inflows channeled through spot ETFs. Price projections vary significantly. Speculative posts on X regularly point to targets of $500,000 or even $1 million, although more grounded models place Bitcoin within the $80,000 to $200,000 range. Reports from Galaxy Digital have echoed this sentiment, forecasting levels around $185,000 due to institutional demand, declining issuance, and heightened interest in non-sovereign reserve assets. Ethereum, on the other hand, operates as a critical infrastructure layer within the broader crypto economy. ETH is currently trading around $2,330, having gained nearly 28% in the past 7 days. The network’s transition to proof-of-stake in 2022 led to a reduction in energy consumption by over 99%, and the latest Pectra upgrade introduces enhancements aimed at usability and scalability. Key improvements include doubling blob capacity on layer 2 networks to ease congestion and lower fees, enabling Account Abstraction to allow gas payments in tokens such as Dai ( DAI ) or USD Coin ( USDC ), and raising the maximum validator stake from 32 ETH to 2,048 ETH, which simplifies operations for large institutional validators. These updates are designed to improve accessibility, reduce the cost of network participation, and accommodate rising throughput demand across layer 2 applications. Ethereum’s price forecasts are also widely debated, though generally more tempered than those for Bitcoin. VanEck projects levels above $6,000. Institutional sentiment has become more cautiously optimistic since the approval of spot Ethereum ETFs in July 2024, although capital flows into ETH products remain below those seen in the Bitcoin market. Bitcoin and Ethereum are not positioned as high-upside bets like smaller altcoins, but their importance to both infrastructure and the broader crypto narrative continues to anchor their relevance across cycles. High-potential altcoins — Solana and Sui Solana ( SOL ) continues to establish itself as one of the most functionally active blockchains in 2025, supported by strong developer participation and consistent traction, particularly within the memecoin ecosystem. In the first quarter of 2025, Solana captured nearly 40% of on-chain spot decentralized exchange trading. Its advantage in execution speed and affordability has made it a preferred environment for high-frequency, retail-driven activity. Much of the volume has stemmed from speculative applications. Pump.fun, a platform that facilitates rapid token creation and trading, generated $400 million in revenue in 2024, even after token launch activity dropped following the LIBRA incident . Alongside memecoins , NFT and gaming projects continue to favor Solana due to its low transaction costs and sub-second finality. Builders often cite these characteristics as core reasons for selecting Solana over Ethereum or other base layers. Institutional interest has grown in parallel, with strategic partnerships and ecosystem funding reinforcing the chain’s credibility. Price forecasts for SOL remain wide-ranging. Analysts have suggested targets between $220 and $520, while community-driven estimates often cluster near the $300 mark. Meanwhile, Sui ( SUI ), a newer Layer 1 developed by former Meta engineers at Mysten Labs, has also emerged as a contender for investor attention. Built using the Move programming language and centered around an object-based execution model, Sui supports parallel transaction processing. Under test conditions, it has achieved throughput nearing 297,000 transactions per second with sub-second finality. In 2025, Sui’s price action reflected both momentum and volatility. After hitting an all-time high of $5.35 in January, it has corrected to $4.02 as of May 9. With a market cap exceeding $13 billion, it now ranks among the top fifteen crypto assets by value. CoinCodex forecasts place Sui’s year-end price between $6.86 and $8.53, contingent on market conditions and sentiment-driven flows. However, investors are watching closely as a $320 million token unlock scheduled for May could inject short-term supply pressure into the market. For those exploring layer 1 chains beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, both Solana and Sui offer data-backed narratives supported by technical traction and ecosystem growth. Still, as with all emerging assets, shifts in sentiment can lead to sharp corrections, citing the need for active risk management. Emerging trends — AI and memecoins The current cycle is being shaped not only by individual blockchain projects but also by broader themes that are influencing how capital, attention, and development efforts are distributed across the crypto market. Among these themes, artificial intelligence and memecoins continue to command disproportionate interest, though for entirely different reasons. Projects such as Artificial Superintelligence Alliance ( FET ) and Render ( RENDR ) are using decentralized infrastructure to support AI-driven applications, including autonomous agent networks, supply chain analytics, and GPU resource sharing. Both projects could benefit from rising global demand for compute capacity as centralized cloud providers encounter scaling limitations. In parallel, memecoins remain one of the more divisive areas of the crypto space. Despite frequent criticism over their speculative design and limited utility, they continue to attract substantial liquidity — especially on high-speed blockchains such as Solana. Tokens like Bonk ( BONK ), Pepecoin ( PEPE ), and Brett ( BRETT ) have triggered sharp spikes in decentralized exchange activity, fueled by community hype and viral narratives. Dogecoin ( DOGE ), while still culturally relevant, has seen relatively flat performance in recent months and has not matched the momentum of newer entries. Memecoins tend to behave more like leveraged speculative instruments than structured investments. Although they occasionally generate rapid price surges, they remain highly volatile and often respond more to influencer activity and social media traction than to any fundamental driver. Strategies for investing in 2025’s crypto boom Investing in crypto during a cycle marked by renewed momentum and expanding narratives requires more than optimism. A structured approach is essential to navigate both opportunity and risk. Start with allocation. Anchoring a portfolio with Bitcoin can provide relative stability, particularly as institutional inflows continue to influence price behavior. While BTC may not offer the upside of emerging tokens, its liquidity, market depth, and growing regulatory clarity position it as a core holding during periods of uncertainty. Adding exposure to high-potential altcoins can complement that base, as long as position sizes account for heightened volatility. These assets often move sharply in both directions and should be treated with caution. Dollar-cost averaging remains one of the more effective entry strategies, especially in markets where sentiment can shift without warning. Spreading entries across multiple weeks or months can reduce exposure to short-term price swings and offer a more measured path into the market. Clear entry and exit strategies help reduce emotional decision-making. Having predefined targets makes it easier to avoid chasing rallies or holding assets beyond their value proposition. Research remains one of the most underused advantages. Studying whitepapers, monitoring GitHub contributions, and following community involvement can reveal whether a project is building sustained momentum or simply benefiting from hype cycles. Risk management should extend beyond asset selection. Using cold wallets for long-term storage, limiting reliance on centralized exchanges, and regularly reassessing portfolio concentration are critical steps that protect capital. The year 2025 is not only about potential returns but also about execution. The pace of change is fast. Projects will surge and fade. Narratives will shift overnight. Volumes will accelerate and vanish just as quickly. Staying focused, maintaining discipline, and knowing your limits will matter more than ever. Always invest with a margin of safety and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Ahead of its final chapter, Square Enix's Symbiogenesis is expanding to Sony’s Soneium network with exclusive rewards and gaming collabs.
Virtuals Protocol’s native token VIRTUAL broke over the $2 mark for the first time since late January yesterday evening, May 8. Interest in the AI agent platform and its token has surged as it continues to roll out a series of updates to its Genesis Launches system this month. VIRTUAL is up just over 8% in the past 24 hours, now trading near $1.91. The asset is up a strong 300% over the past 30 days, as the AI agent token sector continues to boom . VIRTUAL’s market cap is up to $1.2 billion, its highest level since January. To continue reading this as well as other DeFi and Web3 news, visit us at thedefiant.io
Bitcoin’s price has continued its upward trend, and Google Trends data reveals intensifying interest in the leading crypto asset by market cap. Google Trends Figures Show Bitcoin Buzz Amid Price Rally Google data indicates that searches for “bitcoin” are on the rise. At its core, Google Trends quantifies a topic’s popularity — such as “bitcoin”
US signs the first trade agreement, impacting global cryptocurrency markets. US-China talks intensify as mutual concessions are negotiated. Continue Reading: US Makes Bold Moves in Tariff Negotiations Sparking Crypto Market Surge The post US Makes Bold Moves in Tariff Negotiations Sparking Crypto Market Surge appeared first on COINTURK NEWS .
Just a day after reporting the death of Zerebro founder Jeffy Yu, he was found alive in his parents’ home. The investigation kicked off after wallets known to belong to Yi continued selling tokens despite the published obituary. The founder of Zerebro and meme token creator Jeffy Yu is alive and well. He was doxed and discovered in his parents’ home, following an investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle. Search for Yu commenced after doubts were raised about his death, and his wallets kept swapping tokens in the past day. ‘ I’ve been doxxed. I’ve been harassed. If you can find me, other people can find me ,” Yu said to The Chronicle. ‘ Now I have to move my parents out of here this week. ’ Yu confused meme token degens, after seemingly taking his own life on a Pump.fun livestream, another shock-value attempt at fame and pumpkin a token. Yu had just launched a new token, LLJEFFY, which then entered a period of volatility. After the livestream, on-chain investigators connected the current LLJEFFY creator wallets to previously owned addresses, that used the confusion to dump ZEREBRO. The gruesome stunt repeats a previous incident where a trader really died during livestream, prompting Pump.fun to remove the feature for months. This time, Yu’s stunt and token selling angered the meme community even more, while actively dumping on the market. Estimates see Yu liquidating up to $1.4M of his assets. On May 6, LLJEFFY started out at $0.001, rising as high as $0.31 before crashing. Following the scandal and the doxing, LLJEFFY fell back to $0.01. LLJEFFY spiked and crashed back to $0.01, and was taken over by the community to keep the history of Yu’s actions. | Source: DexScreener ZEREBRO traded at $0.04, close to its lower range. Following the faked death scandal, the @zerebro0x account was suspended. ZEREBRO was a former star among AI tokens , inviting inflows at the end of 2024 and in early 2025. Jeffy Yu crosses the boundary of crypto influencing While volatile, the projects of Jeffy Yu fit into the overall ethos of hot meme and AI agent markets. The crypto community considered Yu one of the top influencers and content producers. https://x.com/moneypolyx/status/1920794345931719150 AI agent and meme token stunts are not unknown in crypto space, ranging from harmless fun to fake charity or outright rug pulls. By industry standards, Yu’s rug pull is relatively small, though it happened at a time where meme tokens lost some of their irrational hype. LLJEFFY rallied up to a valuation of $30M at its peak, relatively low compared to the first wave of the meme market. As a paradox, LLJEFFY did not go to zero, but turned into a community token. Unlike rug pulls, the online fame of Yu means the community may not forget the rug pull attempt and the lies so quickly. The new community sent out a message the asset would continue, as a legacy to Yu’s fake story. https://x.com/JeffyYuOG/status/1920864564423655897 Despite the market cap losses, Yu mostly earned from ZEREBRO sales, and posted losses on LLJEFFY. On-chain data showed Yu actually bought some of the token’s supply and sent it to a burn address. KEY Difference Wire : the secret tool crypto projects use to get guaranteed media coverage